I had an interview on Friday, where I made a mistake no professional HR person should make. I screwed up the interviewer's name. I must have misread the email with his name, so I called him the wrong name three times during the interview before he finally corrected me. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I'm guessing I can kiss that job goodbye, right?

Oof. First—deep breath. This feels catastrophic to you, but it’s not automatically catastrophic to them.

A few real-talk points:
-You didn’t mess up the content of the interview.
-You didn’t act unprofessional, rude, or dismissive.
-You made a human mistake under pressure (which, ironically, happens to HR people all the time).

I’m curious—did you follow up with a thank-you note? If not, you absolutely still can, and I’d actually recommend addressing it lightly and directly. Something like:

“I also wanted to apologize again for mixing up your name during our conversation. That one’s on me, and I appreciate your patience—interview nerves are real!”

Owning it calmly shows self-awareness and emotional intelligence, not incompetence.

Also… was it a genuinely tricky name? Because if it wasn’t “Mike” and you didn’t call him “Steve,” that matters 😅 Even then, most interviewers know nerves make brains do weird things.

Here’s the part people don’t like to admit: hiring managers usually reject candidates for lack of skills, judgment, or fit, not a name slip—especially when everything else went well. If this is the sole reason they pass, that may not be the culture you want anyway.

Embarrassing? Yes. Career-ending? Very unlikely.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Name slip‑ups happen more than you’d think, especially when nerves are high. Don’t beat yourself up.

I've messed up bad in interviews (I've been in HR 25 years).

As one example, I showed up TWENTY-FIVE minutes late. I explained that I was unfamiliar with the route, and hit major traffic. I deeply apologized, and said I know how valuable your time is. and if you'd prefer to reschedule I totally understand.

The hiring manager shrugged, said "it happens" and we went on to have a great conversation. I got that job.

Not really. Interviewers understand that you apply for more than one position at a time. Best wishes!

Don’t be hard on yourself! We’re human and we make mistakes, nerves, thinking of a million and one things during an interview, it’s hard and there’s a lot of pressure!

Honestly, they should have corrected you the first time. That would have saved you more embarrassment.
If you think the interview went really well otherwise and that is the main reason they didn’t hire you.. that doesn’t sound like a very open and understanding workplace culture.
People make mistakes. :)

You may still have a chance. I have what many would consider a first name as my last name. I get called my last name as my first name sometimes by candidates. I wouldn’t discount someone because of a simple mistake.

That sounds mortifying, but I would not write it off completely. People make mistakes under pressure. A short, sincere follow-up acknowledging it and reaffirming interest can sometimes leave a better impression than silence.

So what's the update, HR Coordinator? Did you get a call back???